Good and Bad Buys at Lidl and Aldi stores (***Please don't expire***)

MrsStepford

I found Covent Garden pumpkin soup with only 8% pumpkin. I complained to E Sussex Trading Standards and they told me that was legal. I noticed that canned Vichysoisse soup is now labelled 'potato and leek soup' not 'leek and potato soup'. 

Brie

MrsStepford said:

I found Covent Garden pumpkin soup with only 8% pumpkin. I complained to E Sussex Trading Standards and they told me that was legal. I noticed that canned Vichysoisse soup is now labelled 'potato and leek soup' not 'leek and potato soup'. 

I used to have this complaint about muesli where there was some (Jordan perhaps?) labelled as raspberry and hazelnut which I thought sounded good.  Turned out after the flakes and grains it was mostly raisins and peanuts with a small bit of dried raspberries and a smaller amount of hazelnuts.  Hate raisins in muesli and to have peanuts in a breakfast cereal is horrid in my opinion so obviously didn't buy it.  But you have to be so careful and check on these things!!!

Cornucopia

If you want a fruity cereal that doesn't include nuts or raisins, I'd recommend the "Special Flakes" with red fruits - both A & L have a version.   It's similar to Special K, but so much cheaper.   The fruit is freeze-dried red berries.  

Brie

Cornucopia said:

If you want a fruity cereal that doesn't include nuts or raisins, I'd recommend the "Special Flakes" with red fruits - both A & L have a version.   It's similar to Special K, but so much cheaper.   The fruit is freeze-dried red berries.  

I've gone for Lidl Deluxe nutty muesli instead and add my own fruit when I have some to hand.  Works a treat for birchler muesli too (aka overnight oats)

ALSO - someone was asking about the Lidl fruit spin.  Today's freebie was a 500g box of grapes which I had intended to buy anyways.

On the down side there was 15% off Modena Lungo coffee pods so I picked up 3.  I ensured the coupon was activated but there was no discount.  Not sure why.  I'll check it again but I'm thinking it will be something to do with the fact that the Lungo pods have just been relabelled and gone up in price that is some how keeping this from working.  

Rosa_Damascena

Brie said:

Cornucopia said:

If you want a fruity cereal that doesn't include nuts or raisins, I'd recommend the "Special Flakes" with red fruits - both A & L have a version.   It's similar to Special K, but so much cheaper.   The fruit is freeze-dried red berries.  

I've gone for Lidl Deluxe nutty muesli instead and add my own fruit when I have some to hand.  Works a treat for birchler muesli too (aka overnight oats)

ALSO - someone was asking about the Lidl fruit spin.  Today's freebie was a 500g box of grapes which I had intended to buy anyways.

On the down side there was 15% off Modena Lungo coffee pods so I picked up 3.  I ensured the coupon was activated but there was no discount.  Not sure why.  I'll check it again but I'm thinking it will be something to do with the fact that the Lungo pods have just been relabelled and gone up in price that is some how keeping this from working.  

'Twas me! I must say I didn't read too much into "piece" of fruit but a punnet of grapes is incentive enough for me to give it a go.

olgadapolga

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

Cornucopia said:

If you want a fruity cereal that doesn't include nuts or raisins, I'd recommend the "Special Flakes" with red fruits - both A & L have a version.   It's similar to Special K, but so much cheaper.   The fruit is freeze-dried red berries.  

I've gone for Lidl Deluxe nutty muesli instead and add my own fruit when I have some to hand.  Works a treat for birchler muesli too (aka overnight oats)

ALSO - someone was asking about the Lidl fruit spin.  Today's freebie was a 500g box of grapes which I had intended to buy anyways.

On the down side there was 15% off Modena Lungo coffee pods so I picked up 3.  I ensured the coupon was activated but there was no discount.  Not sure why.  I'll check it again but I'm thinking it will be something to do with the fact that the Lungo pods have just been relabelled and gone up in price that is some how keeping this from working.  

'Twas me! I must say I didn't read too much into "piece" of fruit but a punnet of grapes is incentive enough for me to give it a go.

Pineapple and a punnet if strawberries so far 😁

Brie

Today's spin is a punnet of some size of raspberries or blueberries.  Good for 7 days so I guess the idea is to spin every day?

Cornucopia

I got a free Avocado today.   I wonder if they will also have tomatoes, if they are taking a very scientific view of what constitutes fruit.

Murphybear

Doc_N said:

pumpkin89 said:

Doc_N said:

Having said that, it would be an unlawful misdescription to describe something which isn't pure maple syrup as maple syrup. Just as it would be to describe butter substitutes as butter.

No, it wouldn't unfortunately.  The wording "maple syrup" is ambiguous because it can mean either syrup from a maple tree, or any syrup which contains maple (the latter being analogous to vanilla syrup, strawberry syrup etc.)

I think we’ll just have to disagree on this one. I don’t think the point’s ever been pursued legally, and certainly the UK Good Food magazine is no legal arbiter, but:

“Any product labelled 'maple syrup' must be pure maple syrup. While Canada and the US have slightly different grading systems, the colour of the syrup is your guide. Lightness or darkness of colour indicate the lightness or darkness of flavour, in turn reflecting the way maple syrup changes according to the time of collection.

If you plan to use it for drizzling over pancakes and waffles, go for the lighter colours. If you're using it to flavour cakes and muffins, or to add a touch of sweetness to stews or other savoury dishes, you might choose a darker, more robust style.

Maple-flavoured syrups, sometimes sold as 'breakfast' or 'pancake' syrups, will be cheaper, but these are made up of a sugar syrup that has been artificially flavoured and coloured.”

This may be a simplistic view but I’ve always found the price is a good indicator of the quality of maple syrup.

i was in Vermont a few years ago (gorgeous place ) and had some pancakes for breakfast.  The maple syrup turned out to be maple flavoured syrup, they told me the “real thing” was too expensive

YoungBlueEyes

I remember watching a prog some years ago (How Do They Do That or similar), and it was about maple syrup. IIRC the harvest is so time consuming and slow (literally) that the resulting product is necessarily expensive. So if you see it in a shop for a couple of quid you don't even have to lift the bottle to know it's not pure/real.